March 2000
Dear Friends of Resaca Supporter,
This is a tremendous day for American History. It is my sincere pleasure to announce a great victory! The Battlefield Park is going to happen. Recently, the State of Georgia and Mr. Scott Fletcher came to an agreement to secure more than 500 acres lined with beautifully preserved entrenchments of the Battle of Resaca. This is not another rumor, folks. This is fact.
We have numerous parties to thank for this moment. First, Governor Roy Barnes, Commissioner Lonice Barrett and other State officials for their diligent pursuit of this matter. Next, we certainly are indebted to the exemplary citizenship shown by Mr. Fletcher. None of this would be possible without his willingness to remain in communication with the State and to live up to the unique responsibility to History that came with the land he acquired.
Let us not forget Bowater, Inc. Their patience in awaiting the final result of these negotiations when they could have cut the timber on the property in question long ago is an example of business acting in the public's best interests. They put the importance of this land ahead of what could have easily been immediate corporate gain.
There are many others that deserve our gratitude. Mr. O.J. Keller of the Civil War Commission for his unyielding support and wise guidance. All the corporations, trusts, and other groups that have stood fast with the large amounts of money necessary to bring this project to fruition. Still, others need to be thanked, too numerous to name here.
But, now the real work begins. Now, it is our charge to take this land and make into a Battlefield Park that fittingly commemorates the thousands of Americans who fought here in May 1864. Equally, we need to work to make it a beautiful place that people from all over the world will want to visit and cherish. Our charge, in short, is to make this Gordon County's crown jewel offering to the world.
If you have already renewed your membership to the Friends of Resaca, I personally thank you. If you have not yet had the opportunity to do so, please consider sending in the enclosed membership renewal as soon as possible. For those who have already contributed, feel free to pass the renewal form on to someone who might have an interest in assisting with the efforts ahead.
Finally, I hope to see you at our next meeting, when we will begin to discuss details of this victory that we all can share with reverence and pride. We will meet Monday, April 3 at 7 p.m. at the Resaca Recreation Department. As always, the public is invited to attend, but it is particularly important that our members be present as we enter this new phase for our organization.
Thank you,
W. Keith Beason
President
